The Crystal Guardian
by thatgirlmitchxo
Summary: She watched as Odd's eyes widened, realization probably hitting him. "So you lied this entire time? What are you?" JxA UxY OxOC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko. **

Krista's POV

I twirled a lock of my blue hair as I spun my chair around in a circle.

Blue hair, you ask? You see, I am not a regular teenager with daddy issues. I am Krista Ever, a witch and the Crystal Guardian of St. Zara.

I know what you're thinking, and to answer your question, I do _not_ just sit in a room all day and watch a crystal. That's not what I meant by being a Crystal Guardian.

My mom left my dad once she found out that he was a wizard. I mean, what's the big deal? So he was magical. Big whoop. He could be magical in bed, so why was my mom mad?

I sighed and opened up my palm. A small beam appeared there, but a few seconds later, it faltered and disappeared. I groaned and subconsciously smacked my hand. How was I a Crystal Guardian, but I couldn't even perform simple magic?

"Krista!" a familiar voice called out to me. I recognized that as my dad's voice. Whenever my dad called me, it usually wasn't for a good reason.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back, reluctantly standing up and walking out of the room.

I wandered down the hall, peeking into the other rooms. There were other wizards, who were all working on their magic. I mean, it was good enough, but mine was better. Sure, my magic faltered whenever I used it, but it wasn't a big deal. I'm only fifteen years old, for crying out loud!

I finally arrived outside, and that's when I saw my dad. He was peering over the balcony, deep in thought. I slowly trudged over to him, allowing my long blue robe to drag behind me.

"Do you remember Zargas?" he asked. I nodded.

"Is he that guy who's been after the crystal for-"

"Eleven years," my dad cut me off. "Yeah, he is."

"Well, what's wrong?" I demanded, growing impatient.

My dad drew a breath. "H-He's coming after the crystal again."

I rolled my eyes and waved my hand. "No problem! We'll just kick his butt again."

My dad shook his head. "I'm afraid we cannot do that this time. He is much stronger now, and I still have to gather more wizards. All of our magic combined is no match for Zargas's magic."

I felt my jaw drop. "What?" I asked in shock and disbelief. "W-What are we going to do?"

"_We _are going to work something out while _you_ head back to France to stay with your mother."

I remember the day my mom left my dad. I also remember that annoying daughter my mom had after she remarried. I couldn't go back to that house.

"Dad-"

"You will live a normal life. You will keep your identity a secret. You will not be known as Krista Ever, but instead, you'll be known as Holly Anderson. Keep your magic a secret, and if anyone finds out about you, either erase their memory or kill them. You are the Crystal Guardian of St. Zara, and until we defeat Zargas, you will remain in France. Keep the crystal with you at all times, and do_ not _lose it under any circumstances. Do you understand me, Krista?"

I lowered my head and blinked back tears. "Yes, father."

My dad knelt down and looked into my eyes. It was basically like a staring contest; my light pink eyes against his deep blue ones.

"Be safe, Krista." And with that, he pressed his lips to my forehead. I sighed and shut my eyes.

"You too, daddy."

My dad stood up and smiled warmly at me. He brought one finger to his temple and pointed the other one at me. I watched in horror as a tiny orange beam shot out of his finger and hit me. It didn't hurt, but I did feel something. I felt a gust of wind, and before I knew it, the wind stopped. I glanced down and saw that my blue robe was no longer there. It was replaced with a simple black shirt and jeans. My hair was no longer blue, but now it was blonde. I didn't know what color my eyes were, nor did I want to know.

"Dad!" I exclaimed angrily. "Why did you do that?"

"Keep your identity a secret!" he reminded me. He shut his eyes and a blue beam appeared on his finger. He shot the beam at me, and the next thing I knew, I found myself laying on the street with rain pelting down on me.

I wasn't in St. Zara, I knew that much. I was probably in France. It was night time, it was cold, and it was raining. I knew where my mom was, but that was about a mile away from where I was at. I stood up and glanced around. Time to walk.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't really know the class schedule, so I'm sorry if it's wrong.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko. **

Krista's POV

Since there was no light, I had to make light. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but the storm was making it impossible. The rain pelted against my back, and locks of my unnatural blonde hair were now plastered to my face.

Speaking of blonde hair, I just couldn't have it. Blonde wasn't my color. I spun my finger around in a circle, whipping up a blue beam. I pointed to myself, releasing the beam to me. It landed on me, and soon after, I felt a gust of wind brush past me. I tugged a lock of my hair, which was now brown.

I was going to kill my dad.

I drew in a breath and blocked out my surroundings. I felt something hot grow on my hand, so I peeked one of my eyes open. My hand was glowing brightly, providing me with enough light that would guide me to my mother's house.

"Stupid dad," I grumbled bitterly, storming down the street. I had to get home before my mom went to bed because once she was in the bed, she wasn't going to get up.

"Hey, get over here!" someone shouted from behind me. I whirled around in surprise.

I squinted, only to notice that it was Jared.

My enemy.

Clutching the crystal ball protectively in my hands, I turned around and sprinted down the street. I heard Jared shout something, and soon after that, I heard heavy footsteps behind me.

I turned the corner and ran for my life. If he caught me, he could and would easily steal the crystal ball from me. My magic was nothing compared to his.

As I ran, I turned around and opened my hand. A blue ice beam shot out and flew towards him, but he easily dodged it.

I shut my eyes and stopped running. I only had a few seconds to do this spell, so I had to make it work. I clasped my hands together and knelt down.

"Take me to Kara," I said awkwardly, secretly hoping that it would work. A few seconds later, I slid my eyes open. I was no longer in the street, but instead, I was on a door step. I shot up from the floor and rapped impatiently on the door. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a noise, and then the door swung open.

"Yeah?" someone demanded. It was probably my stepsister. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and brown eyes. She looked nothing like my mom.

"I'm Krista. Is Kara DeHaven in there?" I asked politely. The girl looked me up and down before she smacked on her gum.

"Oh, so you're that magical kid she was going on about. You're her daughter," she said, but it wasn't a question. It was more like a statement.

I slightly nodded and gave her a small nod. "Yes."

She glared at me briefly before she stepped aside to allow me in. "Come in."

I ignored her glare and stepped into the house. I was immediately greeted by a gust of cold air. Mom always kept her house cold.

"Madison, who was that?" I immediately recognized that voice as my mom's voice. She came down the stair case, tying her silk red robe across her waist. Her neck-length brown hair was tangled and wet, telling me that she just got out of the shower… or the bath with her new husband.

"Hi, mom," I greeted awkwardly, waving my hand. My mom raised an eyebrow before realization struck her.

"Krista? W-What happened to your usual blue hair and your pink eyes?" she asked, eyeing my up and down. "You never had brown hair and brown eyes."

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Yeah, mom. It's a long story, but I'm sure you know half of it."

Mom nodded, taking in my new look. She ran a hand through her damp hair and looked over at Madison, who was still standing there. Madison rolled her eyes and put her ear buds in her ears as she made her way up the stairs. Mom looked over at me and sighed.

"Well, go in the guest room and sleep. Tomorrow starts your day as a boarder," she said.

My eyes widened. "I-I have to be a boarder? But why?"

"Because you are no longer my problem! You are your father's problem now, and if you don't already notice, I don't want any wizards or witches in my family. It's just me, John, and Madison now. You are my past, baby girl."

"Mom-"

"I am no longer your mom," my mom said bitterly. "I don't give birth to witches. I give birth to humans, not freaks with blue hair and pink eyes who can cast spells."

I watched as my mom turned around and stalked up the stairs. I desperately wanted to launch a fireball at her, but I couldn't risk getting kicked out.

[*]

As soon as the sun rose, I packed all my clothes and got the hell out of that house. Why would I want to stay in a house where no one wants me?

I didn't even know where my new school was, so I just followed some girl. She didn't catch me following her, that is, until I tripped and fell. The girl immediately whirled around and rushed towards me.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" she asked. I nodded and helped myself up.

"I'm fine. I was actually hoping that you could direct me to Kadic because I'm lost," I explained.

"I go to Kadic. Are you new?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

I nodded. "Yes, I am," I replied, sighing in relief.

The girl smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Yumi."

Remembering what my dad said, I told her, "Holly. Sorry, I can't shake your hand. I'm sick," I lied. I knew that if I touched her hand, some type of magic would appear and probably shock her.

She withdrew her hand and smiled. "Okay. Well, let's get to school, shall we?"

I followed this girl down the street. We didn't really talk to each other, nor did we look at each other. For me, it was awkward.

We walked up to a big gate and walked inside. The first thing I saw was a bunch of kids that were scattered across the campus. I suddenly didn't want to go in there, but since Yumi was walking in, I just shut up and followed her.

"The office is right over there," Yumi said, pointing straight ahead. Without even saying goodbye, she walked off.

"Oh, well bye to you too," I mumbled. I repositioned my bag on my shoulder and stalked towards the building.

Once I got inside, I saw a big guy in a red jogging suit standing by the door. He glared at me and placed his hand firmly on my shoulder.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded. "You know this building is off limits!"

I returned the glare. "Excuse you? First of all, I'm new here. Second of all, you better get your damn arm off of my shoulder or I'll break it," I threatened, grabbing his hand and yanking it off. He gasped in pain and clutched the red mark on his arm. I think I burned him.

I brushed past him and stormed down a tiny hallway. Down that hallway was about three doors, but since one of those doors was closer, I decided to go into that one. I opened the door and stepped inside.

There was a blonde lady with glasses, sitting down at her desk and frantically typing on her keyboard. Without even looking up at me, she pointed to the door to my left. I narrowed my eyes, but wandered into the room on the left.

"Excuse me?" I asked as I stepped into the room. The man smiled warmly at me and reached into his desk.

"Holly Anderson. Am I correct?" he asked.

I was about to say no, but then I remembered what my dad told me. "Yes."

"I'm Mr. Delmas."

He handed me a slip of paper, and I accepted it. I scanned over it, trying to figure out what it was. Unfortunately, the paper froze, due to my stupid magic. I squealed and hid my hands behind my back.

"What is it?" Mr. Delmas inquired, not really sounding concerned.

"Can I have another schedule, please?" I pleaded. Good thing he didn't see my schedule get burned up.

I closed my eyes and inhaled. If I relaxed, then maybe I could keep my magic under control. He held out a piece of paper, so I calmly took it. When the paper didn't freeze, I squealed again.

"I'm ready for class," I said half-heartedly.

"Good. My daughter will show you around," he said. "Elizabeth!"

A few seconds later, some girl with long black hair stormed in, and she didn't look happy. She shifted her hip to the right and placed her hand on it.

"Alright, let's go!" she exclaimed rudely in a nasally, annoyingly high-pitched voice.

I smiled and told myself to keep calm. I did not see myself being friends with her.

[*]

"We only have three classes together, and don't worry, that's a good thing," Sissi said. "That way, if I end up hating you, I can beat you to a pulp!"

I glared at her. "Excuse me?"

Sissi smiled, but it was obvious the smile wasn't real. "I think you heard me. If you end up like Yumi Ishiyama, and I mean stealing my boyfriend Ulrich, then I'll beat you down!"

I chuckled. "Listen here, little one. If you think you're one of those girls who thinks she can push me around, then think again. I'll shove my foot so far up your a-"

"Sissi, leave her alone," a guy with messy brown hair demanded. "You're always bothering someone."

"Ulrich, stay out of this!" Sissi snapped as she stormed off in a huff.

"So you actually _date_ her?" I asked in disbelief. "What do you see in her?"

Ulrich's face dropped. "I do not, will not, and will _never_ date her!" he retorted angrily.

"She told me you guys-"

"Yeah, well, she lied."

I nodded. "Thanks for sticking up for me. I'm Kris- I mean, Holly," I quickly corrected myself. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice.

Ulrich smiled. "I could introduce myself, but that wouldn't make sense."

I chuckled and asked, "Do you know where Mrs. Russo's class is?"

"Yeah, she's the new Science teacher. Just follow me," Ulrich said.

He led me all the way to a bench, where there were four other people. I glanced around in confusion. I didn't know that Mrs. Russo's classroom was at a bench.

One of those people was Yumi, the girl I met earlier. I recalled that Sissi labeled Yumi as a man stealer, but then again, she was lying about Ulrich being her boyfriend. Man, this was confusing.

"Hey, Holly, right?" Yumi asked.

"Yes," I responded. I felt bad for lying to them, but I couldn't go against my dad's rules.

"It's not time to go to class yet, so why don't you hang with us," Ulrich suggested. He snaked his arm around Yumi's waist and pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Are you two dating?" I asked. When I saw them both blush, I knew I had my answer. I was a little disappointed at that. I mean, it was like all the cute guys were taken.

"I'm Aelita," a girl with pink hair said politely.

"I'm Odd, and that's Jeremie," the boy with a weird hairstyle said to me. The Jeremie kid waved at me.

"Hi," I said, politely waving my hand. However, that came with consequences. When I waved my hand, it sent off a tiny green beam. It flew off into the distance, never being seen again.

"It was a booger," I said. Everyone grimaced in disgust.

"Where are you from?" Aelita inquired.

"Uh… France," I lied. "Yeah, France."

"You don't look like you're from France," Ulrich said.

"Well," I started. "You don't look like you're…"

"How did you meet Ulrich?" Yumi asked, completely cutting me off. I frowned and sighed. I hated being interrupted.

"He saved me from Sissi," I said, even though I was lying again. I could handle Sissi all by myself, despite how bony I was.

Before anyone could speak, the bell rang. I sighed in relief and began to walk off. However, before I got far, I felt someone's arm on my shoulder. Out of fear, I tensed up, and my body grew cold. The person gasped and withdrew their hand. I whirled around and immediately realized that it was Odd.

"Jeez!" he exclaimed, viciously shaking his numb hand. "Are you cold or what?"

I smirked. "Yeah, I am."

Odd glared at me. "What class do you have?"

"Mrs. Russo," I replied, also glaring at him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find that class."

Odd's eyes lit up, but then he smirked and nodded. "Alright, go on." And with that, he walked off with Aelita and Jeremie.

I rolled my eyes and brushed past him. I had no tolerance for jokers, especially in the morning.

[*]

I didn't know where Mrs. Russo's class was. I should've followed Ulrich, but I wasn't thinking straight at the time. That idiot Odd probably had the same class as Ulrich. Maybe that's why he was looking at me like that.

"Stupid kid!" I grumbled, kicking the air. I was lost, but then that's when realization hit me. All I had to do was go into the same building that Aelita, Jeremie, and Odd went in.

I quickly raced towards the building and flew inside, but as soon as I did, I saw the same guy that was in the building with me earlier. He crossed his arms and glowered at me.

"Where are you going?" he demanded. "Skipping class, aren't we?"

"Look, I got lost," I said. I didn't want to argue with him, but he was just asking for it.

He nodded in disbelief. "Tell it to the principal."

I grabbed his collar and yanked him down so our faces were close, but not too close. I stared into his eyes and said, "You will walk out of this building and forget that you ever saw me." I shoved him away from me and watch as he unconsciously walked out of the building. I smirked and ran down the hallway, hoping to find Mrs. Russo's class.

I finally came upon a classroom and peeked inside. There was a blonde-haired lady who was standing up at the front of the classroom. I relaxed and pulled out my schedule. I didn't want to hand her a frozen schedule. I rapped on the door and watched as she glanced over at the door. She said something to the class before she wandered over to the door.

"I'm Holly, the new student," I informed. I honestly don't know why my dad picked the name Holly for me. I mean, that name was suited for a prettier girl, not a walking freak with magic.

She smiled warmly and took my schedule. After she looked at it, she grinned and stepped aside. "Come in."

I took the schedule and walked inside. Mrs. Russo shut the door and quickly walked over to me.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" she suggested. I looked at the class and nervously gulped. They were all staring at me, apart from Odd, who was asleep.

"H-Holly Anderson," I mumbled. "I'm from France."

"Della Robbia!" Mrs. Russo shouted. Odd jumped up and frantically looked around.

"What?" he asked groggily. A few students giggled.

Mrs. Russo crossed her arms. "How about you repeat this student's name?"

Odd's eyes fell on me briefly before he shrugged. "Uh… Michael?"

Somehow, the entire class, apart from Ulrich, Odd, Jeremie, and Aelita, erupted into laughter. I felt my face grow hot. Embarrassed on the first day.

"Take the seat next to Sissi," Mrs. Russo said. "Herb, move over to the empty seat next to Laura."

The Herb kid got up, grumbled something under his breath, and then moved across the room. I reluctantly moved to my new seat, but as I did, I saw Odd looking at me. He looked apologetic, but I quickly looked away as if I didn't see him.

Mrs. Russo went back to the front and began to lecture everyone about something. Every minute, I would catch Sissi glaring at me, and quite frankly, it was bothering me. About a minute before the bell rang, I caught her looking at me again. This time, I decided to stand up for myself.

"What are you staring at?" I demanded. Sissi rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Nothing, _Michael_," she retorted. I heard a few snickers, and I swore I heard Odd snicker.

I felt anger seethe through me. Once the bell rang, I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the classroom.

I didn't even know where my next class was, but thankfully, I heard Ulrich shout my name. I spun around and slowly walked over to him. He was standing with the people I met earlier, but I blurred all of them out except for Odd.

"Look, Holly," Odd started. "About what happened in class-"

"Ulrich, can you help me to my next class?" I cut Odd off, turning my focus to Ulrich. "It's gym."

They all looked at each and laughed. "It's lunch time," they said in unison.

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Class starts at nine, and Mrs. Russo's class is three hours," Jeremie said.

I tried to do the math. "Oh."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko!**

Regular POV

Krista narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she watched Odd devour an entire cheeseburger and fries in just ten seconds.

"Slow down, Odd," Yumi said, but there was a hint of humor in her voice.

"Slow down?" Ulrich repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know if that's possible."

Everyone, apart from Krista, laughed when Odd let out a loud belch. Even though it was disgusting, they found it humorous, much to Krista's confusion.

"Oh, lighten up, Holly," Ulrich muttered. "We're just joking."

"Yeah," Odd butt in. "Are you always this serious?"

Krista glowered at Odd. "Just because I didn't laugh at you burping doesn't mean I'm serious. It simply means that I'm mature enough to not laugh at someone else that burps."

Odd stared at her. "Are you _still _mad about what happened in class?"

"It wasn't funny," Krista said to the blonde.

Odd rolled his eyes and smirked. "I'm sorry, Holly."

Krista shook her head. "I'm not Holly, I'm Michael."

Yumi smiled. "I see you two had fun in class," she said sarcastically.

"He told everyone her name was Michael," Jeremie said calmly.

Yumi bit her lip to hide her laughter, but her eyes gave it away. Krista glared at Yumi.

"It's not funny," she frowned.

Odd's smile widened. "You're right. It's hilarious!"

Krista finally cracked a smile, but it turned into a laugh once Odd said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Holly Anderson is _smiling_!"

The group shared a laugh.

[*]

"Holly!"

Krista whirled around just in time to see Odd jogging up to her. She gave him a small smile and looked at him as he reached her and began to pant.

"You walk fast," he said in between pants.

"I don't walk fast. I just take big steps," Krista retorted, shrugging her shoulders. "What's up?"

"I wanted to see if you needed any help getting to your next class."

Krista narrowed her eyes. "Oh, please."

"No, I'm serious," Odd said.

"What, so I can get lost again and wonder the school? No thanks."

Odd sighed. "I'm truly sorry about that."

Krista beamed. "Well, that's better."

Odd smiled. "Yeah."

"So, what brings you to Kadic?" Odd asked.

Krista sighed and avoided eye contact with Odd. "My mom disowned me, so now I'm here."

Odd frowned. "I'm sorry. What did you do?"

Krista shrugged. "I guess I'm too perfect for her," she lied.

Odd chuckled. "Well, it's always nice to have another girl around. I mean, there are only three guys and two girls in our group."

"So you want an even amount of people?" Krista asked.

"Yeah," said Odd. "I mean, I love them both, but I think they're all secretly hooking up. Yumi has Ulrich, Aelita's getting Jeremie, and I'm…" he trailed off.

"Alone?" Krista finished, her frown deepening.

Odd nodded and lowered his head. "Yeah."

Krista smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Odd smiled, but it wasn't real. "It's fine."

"So, how did you meet Ulrich?" Krista inquired.

Odd grinned and slicked his hair back. "I pestered him the first day I came. Man, he was so annoyed!"

Krista smiled warmly. "It's nice to have a friend like Ulrich, isn't it?"

Odd nodded. "Yeah, it is. He's really cool, but he has his moments. We're still best friends, though."

Krista let out a small laugh and folded her arms. "I'm not saying I'm a psychic or anything, but I can sense that you two will be best friends your entire life."

Odd smiled. "I can see you and princess being best friends."

Krista raised an eyebrow. "Princess?"

"Yeah, my friend Aelita."

"Are you sure she's your friend?" Krista asked. "I somehow see you two being much more than that."

"No," Odd said quickly. "She's my cousin."

Krista blinked. "You just said she was your friend."

"I lied," Odd said, hoping that Krista would drop the topic.

"Cool," Krista said, her lips curving.

"So, do you need any help with your schedule?" Odd inquired.

Krista shook her head. "I actually need help finding my dorm."

"Okay. What room number are you?"

Krista pulled out her key and read the number. "321."

Odd grinned and gestured for him to follow him. She shrugged and followed him towards the dorms.

"This is it," Odd said. They both arrived in front of a plain door, and Krista couldn't help but wonder how he knew what number the room was. Krista mumbled a "thank you," before she opened the door and slid inside.

When she entered the room, she noticed the usual stuff, such as a bed, a desk, and a drawer. Other than that, there was a broom, her crystal ball, and a huge book. She squealed and raced over to her broom.

"I missed you, baby!" she exclaimed. She kissed the broom loudly and smiled.

However, she was unaware to Odd, who was eavesdropping on the other side of the door. Unable to believe what he just heard, he walked off.

Krista sat on the broom and grinned as it levitated. She then began to fly in circles around the room. Once she was done, the broom lowered and she hopped off. She ran over to her spell book and flipped it open to a random page. She scanned over the tiny words that were scrawled across the page.

"My spell book," Krista muttered. She smiled and mentally read a spell from the book. She then brushed her hair out of her face and sat up. She held out her hand and slightly bent her fingers. She sighed and shut her eyes, trying to stay focused on the spell itself. She popped one eye open, and that's when she realized that her fingers were glowing in a bright blue color. She squealed and shut her other eye. She inhaled and snapped her eyes open. Then, she flicked her wrist forward, releasing the blue energy.

"That's enough magic for one day," she said to herself as she shut the book and placed it under her bed. She hid the crystal in her closet and skipped out of the room.

Once she arrived outside, she took notice of Odd, who was talking to Ulrich on the bench. He looked peeved, and Krista wondered what happened. She strolled over to the two boys, who were oblivious to her approaching.

"Hey," she greeted casually. "What's wrong, Odd?"

Odd glanced up at Krista before looking at Ulrich. Ulrich patted Odd on the shoulder, nodded at Krista, and then walked off.

"Who were you talking to in your dorm?" Odd asked.

Krista shook her head. "My broom."

Odd stared at her. "Your broom? He asked skeptically.

"Well, yeah. I missed her so much!"

Odd rolled his eyes, but decided to drop the subject. "It's almost time for class. What class do you have now?"

Krista inhaled deeply and pulled out her schedule. She read over it and replied, "Gym."

Odd smirked. "Me too."

Krista cheered and clapped her hands together. "Yay! I'm going to go fetch some gym clothes, so just wait here!"

Odd watched as Krista bounced back towards the dorm. "She's such a cheerleader," he muttered, but he couldn't help but smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko!**

Regular POV

Krista narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she watched Odd devour an entire cheeseburger and fries in just ten seconds.

"Slow down, Odd," Yumi said, but there was a hint of humor in her voice.

"Slow down?" Ulrich repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know if that's possible."

Everyone, apart from Krista, laughed when Odd let out a loud belch. Even though it was disgusting, they found it humorous, much to Krista's confusion.

"Oh, lighten up, Holly," Ulrich muttered. "We're just joking."

"Yeah," Odd butt in. "Are you always this serious?"

Krista glowered at Odd. "Just because I didn't laugh at you burping doesn't mean I'm serious. It simply means that I'm mature enough to not laugh at someone else that burps."

Odd stared at her. "Are you _still _mad about what happened in class?"

"It wasn't funny," Krista said to the blonde.

Odd rolled his eyes and smirked. "I'm sorry, Holly."

Krista shook her head. "I'm not Holly, I'm Michael."

Yumi smiled. "I see you two had fun in class," she said sarcastically.

"He told everyone her name was Michael," Jeremie said calmly.

Yumi bit her lip to hide her laughter, but her eyes gave it away. Krista glared at Yumi.

"It's not funny," she frowned.

Odd's smile widened. "You're right. It's hilarious!"

Krista finally cracked a smile, but it turned into a laugh once Odd said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Holly Anderson is _smiling_!"

The group shared a laugh.

[*]

"Holly!"

Krista whirled around just in time to see Odd jogging up to her. She gave him a small smile and looked at him as he reached her and began to pant.

"You walk fast," he said in between pants.

"I don't walk fast. I just take big steps," Krista retorted, shrugging her shoulders. "What's up?"

"I wanted to see if you needed any help getting to your next class."

Krista narrowed her eyes. "Oh, please."

"No, I'm serious," Odd said.

"What, so I can get lost again and wonder the school? No thanks."

Odd sighed. "I'm truly sorry about that."

Krista beamed. "Well, that's better."

Odd smiled. "Yeah."

"So, what brings you to Kadic?" Odd asked.

Krista sighed and avoided eye contact with Odd. "My mom disowned me, so now I'm here."

Odd frowned. "I'm sorry. What did you do?"

Krista shrugged. "I guess I'm too perfect for her," she lied.

Odd chuckled. "Well, it's always nice to have another girl around. I mean, there are only three guys and two girls in our group."

"So you want an even amount of people?" Krista asked.

"Yeah," said Odd. "I mean, I love them both, but I think they're all secretly hooking up. Yumi has Ulrich, Aelita's getting Jeremie, and I'm…" he trailed off.

"Alone?" Krista finished, her frown deepening.

Odd nodded and lowered his head. "Yeah."

Krista smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Odd smiled, but it wasn't real. "It's fine."

"So, how did you meet Ulrich?" Krista inquired.

Odd grinned and slicked his hair back. "I pestered him the first day I came. Man, he was so annoyed!"

Krista smiled warmly. "It's nice to have a friend like Ulrich, isn't it?"

Odd nodded. "Yeah, it is. He's really cool, but he has his moments. We're still best friends, though."

Krista let out a small laugh and folded her arms. "I'm not saying I'm a psychic or anything, but I can sense that you two will be best friends your entire life."

Odd smiled. "I can see you and princess being best friends."

Krista raised an eyebrow. "Princess?"

"Yeah, my friend Aelita."

"Are you sure she's your friend?" Krista asked. "I somehow see you two being much more than that."

"No," Odd said quickly. "She's my cousin."

Krista blinked. "You just said she was your friend."

"I lied," Odd said, hoping that Krista would drop the topic.

"Cool," Krista said, her lips curving.

"So, do you need any help with your schedule?" Odd inquired.

Krista shook her head. "I actually need help finding my dorm."

"Okay. What room number are you?"

Krista pulled out her key and read the number. "321."

Odd grinned and gestured for him to follow him. She shrugged and followed him towards the dorms.

"This is it," Odd said. They both arrived in front of a plain door, and Krista couldn't help but wonder how he knew what number the room was. Krista mumbled a "thank you," before she opened the door and slid inside.

When she entered the room, she noticed the usual stuff, such as a bed, a desk, and a drawer. Other than that, there was a broom, her crystal ball, and a huge book. She squealed and raced over to her broom.

"I missed you, baby!" she exclaimed. She kissed the broom loudly and smiled.

However, she was unaware to Odd, who was eavesdropping on the other side of the door. Unable to believe what he just heard, he walked off.

Krista sat on the broom and grinned as it levitated. She then began to fly in circles around the room. Once she was done, the broom lowered and she hopped off. She ran over to her spell book and flipped it open to a random page. She scanned over the tiny words that were scrawled across the page.

"My spell book," Krista muttered. She smiled and mentally read a spell from the book. She then brushed her hair out of her face and sat up. She held out her hand and slightly bent her fingers. She sighed and shut her eyes, trying to stay focused on the spell itself. She popped one eye open, and that's when she realized that her fingers were glowing in a bright blue color. She squealed and shut her other eye. She inhaled and snapped her eyes open. Then, she flicked her wrist forward, releasing the blue energy.

"That's enough magic for one day," she said to herself as she shut the book and placed it under her bed. She hid the crystal in her closet and skipped out of the room.

Once she arrived outside, she took notice of Odd, who was talking to Ulrich on the bench. He looked peeved, and Krista wondered what happened. She strolled over to the two boys, who were oblivious to her approaching.

"Hey," she greeted casually. "What's wrong, Odd?"

Odd glanced up at Krista before looking at Ulrich. Ulrich patted Odd on the shoulder, nodded at Krista, and then walked off.

"Who were you talking to in your dorm?" Odd asked.

Krista shook her head. "My broom."

Odd stared at her. "Your broom? He asked skeptically.

"Well, yeah. I missed her so much!"

Odd rolled his eyes, but decided to drop the subject. "It's almost time for class. What class do you have now?"

Krista inhaled deeply and pulled out her schedule. She read over it and replied, "Gym."

Odd smirked. "Me too."

Krista cheered and clapped her hands together. "Yay! I'm going to go fetch some gym clothes, so just wait here!"

Odd watched as Krista bounced back towards the dorm. "She's such a cheerleader," he muttered, but he couldn't help but smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I know, this chapter is short.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko.**

"When are you and Jeremie going to kiss?" Krista questioned as she slowly swept the nail brush across Aelita's nails. It was nighttime, and Krista was sitting in Aelita's room, painting Aelita's nails pink.

Aelita felt her face grow hot. "We're just friends," she muttered. "What about you and Odd?"

Krista rolled her eyes and kept a straight face. 'I can honestly say that I have no feelings for him. As much as I hate to say this, I like Ulrich."

Aelita's eyes broadened with surprise. "You do? But I thought you liked Odd!"

Krista smiled and shook her head. "I mean, he's a good friend, even though I only knew him for a day. Ulrich, on the other hand… He's nice. He didn't humiliate me today, and he treated me so kindly. He's cute, funny, and fun to be around."

Aelita made a face. "Don't tell Yumi that."

"I am _not _a man stealer," Krista said defensively. "Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship. I would really like it if Ulrich and I could be good friends like you two are."

Aelita smiled. "He's like a brother to me."

"He's quiet," Krista noted. "You're lucky to know a quiet guy because they rarely ever talk, which makes it impossible to even become friends with them."

"If you ask me, I think you should give Odd a chance," Aelita said. When Krista rolled her eyes, Aelita added, "Oh, c'mon! He's the only one out of Jeremie, Yumi, Ulrich, and I who doesn't really have a crush."

"Give me your other hand," said Krista, who squeezed the lid shut and shook the nail polish bottle. Aelita removed her right hand from the table and replaced it with her left. Krista gently opened the cap, wiped some polish on the edge, and then smeared it onto Aelita's nail.

"Can you please just give Odd a chance?" Aelita pleaded. "He's lonely."

"And I'm sorry to hear that," Krista said. "But it's not my business. I'm pretty sure the right girl will come along and sweep him off of his feet."

"And you're that girl," Aelita muttered. Krista raised an eyebrow.

"What'd you say?" she asked the pinkette, who waved off her own comment.

"Nothing. So, do you really think I have a chance with Jeremie?" Aelita asked.

Krista grinned and applied more nail polish to Aelita's pointer finger. "Are you kidding me? I see the way he smiles at you when you look at him. That kid is head over heels for you!"

Aelita beamed and let herself blush. "I-I'm too nervous to make a move."

"I may not be your close friends, but I know that he's way too nervous to even _attempt _to make a move," Krista replied. "You should do it."

"You mean like… kiss him?"

"Yes!" Krista exclaimed.

Aelita shook her head vigorously. "I don't know if I can do that."

"If you don't do it, I will."

Aelita gulped, and Krista smirked and finished up Aelita's nails.

[*]

"Do you think Holly and I have a chance together?" Odd asked Ulrich, who then turned his head to look at Odd.

"Sure, I guess. I'm not really a love expert."

"Oh, trust me. I know that," Odd responded.

Ulrich glowered at Odd. "Shut up."

"I mean, I think she likes you," Odd said. "I see the way she looks at you."

"I think you're being over dramatic," Ulrich murmured. "She's obviously into you. Besides, what does it matter? You barely even know her."

Odd nodded. "I guess, but didn't you like Yumi when you first met her?"

Ulrich narrowed his eyes. "S-Shut up."

"You know I have a point, right?" Odd asked. He ducked when Ulrich picked up a pillow and launched it across the room.

"She's really cool, but after my previous relationship, I want to keep things slow. I want to be really good friends before we hop into a relationship."

"Who are you and what did you do with Odd?"

"I'm here and sexy as ever!"

"Cool," Ulrich muttered. "Good night."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko. I only own Krista (Mainly known as Holly), Kara, (Krista's mom), Madison, Zargas, Jared, and Krista's father… **

Aelita walked up to Jeremie, who was surprisingly reading a book. She tapped his shoulder and he jumped, which made Aelita jump and let out a squeal.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Jeremie apologized, turning around to face the girl.

"And vice versa," Aelita replied. Jeremie chuckled and pushed up his glasses.

"So, what's up?" Jeremie inquired, patting the empty seat next to him.

"Oh, nothing." Aelita quickly took a seat next to Jeremie and inhaled deeply. She looked past Jeremie, where Krista was standing and frantically throwing up her thumbs. "I have a gift for you."

Jeremie's face lit up. "You didn't have to get me a gift, Aelita."

Aelita smiled and grabbed Jeremie's collar. She pulled him close and pressed her lips to his.

"What!" She heard Krista exclaim. She pulled back from the kiss and looked over at Krista, who was in shock. Her jaw was dropped, and her eyes were wide. She then looked at Jeremie, who was also frozen. Aelita smiled and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"There's your present," Aelita whispered. She stood up and meandered over to Krista, who looked like she was ready to pounce on Aelita.

"I honestly thought you would chicken out," Krista admitted, smiling sheepishly. "Congrats!"

Aelita chuckled. "Let's go. I don't want to be here when he unfreezes."

Krista smirked and nodded. "OK."

The two girls walked off, leaving the blonde in his trance.

"Oh, wait! I forgot my jacket in the room. Can you wait here?" Aelita asked. Before Krista could reply, Aelita said, "Thanks!" and scurried off.

Krista quietly giggled and waited patiently for Aelita to return. Just as she was about to relax, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She whirled around, only to find that it was Jared. Her eyes widened as he pulled out a knife and pressed it against her throat.

"Krista Ever! Nice to see you again," he said cheerfully. "You're still as beautiful as ever, aren't you?"

"Your jokes still suck, you know that?" Krista said dryly, trying to get him off of her.

"Jokes over. Give me the crystal or I'll kill everyone here," Jared threatened.

Krista punched Jared in the groin, and in return, he yelped and let her go. Krista blew her breath on Jared, causing him to be surrounded by an orange light. A few seconds later, he disappeared.

At that moment, Aelita returned with her pink jacket. "Let's go," she said. Krista bit her lower lip and followed Aelita.

"Hey, guys!" Aelita greeted to Yumi, Odd, and Ulrich once she and Krista got to the cafeteria. "Where's Jeremie?"

"I don't know," Yumi replied. "He's usually here with us."

"I think I know where he is," Krista muttered, smirking. Aelita glared at her and nudged her.

"Do you two know something that we don't?" Ulrich asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I know that Aelita was smooching with Jeremie, so he's still frozen on a bench," Krista responded. She laughed when Aelita's jaw dropped.

"No way," Yumi murmured, a wide grin teasing her lips. She grabbed Ulrich's hand and rushed out of the cafeteria, forcing him to go with her.

"You two are certainly evil today," Odd noted. "What's up with that?"

Krista shrugged and smirked. "I was always evil."

"She finally talked me into kissing Jeremie, even though I've done it before," Aelita admitted.

"And I was there for that," said Odd. "He was frozen for about an hour."

Krista took a seat at the table along with Aelita. "That's funny," she muttered dryly.

"What's wrong, Holly?" Odd asked. "You were happy a minute ago."

"I have a feeling something bad is going to happen," she said. "Something terrible."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Odd answered, shaking his head.

"That's what everyone says right before something bad happens," Krista responded, rolling her eyes.

Odd munched on a piece of his pancake as he picked up an apple. Handing it to Krista, he said, "Lighten up and eat an apple."

"Thanks," Krista muttered. She wiped the apple on her shirt and took a bite out of it.

"I'm going to go check on Jeremie," Aelita informed. She stood up and walked out of the cafeteria.

"So, how long did it take you to grow your hair that long?" Odd asked, obviously trying to start a conversation.

Krista ran a hand through her false brown hair, which stopped to her waist. "I don't keep count," she answered..

"It's very pretty," Odd commented, blushing.

"But how can hair be pretty?" Krista inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"If it looks nice, then it's pretty," Odd said. "Like mine."

"Oh please. All you do is wake up and gel it up into that ridiculous hairstyle."

Odd pretended to be hurt. "You think my hair is ridiculous?"

"Of course I do."

Odd narrowed his eyes. "It's a good thing you're pretty."

Krista blinked. "Okay."

"So, our group is going to play truth or dare after classes. Do you want to play?"

"Sure," Krista replied. "Sounds like fun."

[*]

The gang met up in Odd and Ulrich's room after classes were done.

"Alright, who goes first?" Krista asked. All of them were huddled in a circle; Aelita, Odd, Krista, Ulrich, and Jeremie.

"We'll start with Odd, and then we'll go around the circle," Ulrich said.

"I'm still not sure about this," Jeremie muttered. Aelita grinned and rubbed his back.

"Just relax," she said. "Okay, Holly, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Krista answered.

"Is it true that you once had feelings for Ulrich?" she asked.

"I…Uh…Of course not!" Krista denied. Luckily, no one but Aelita knew she was lying.

Odd grinned. "Holly, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she responded simply.

"I dare you to kiss Ulrich," Odd said, thinking that she would chicken out. However, Krista proved him wrong when she blushed and leaned in towards Ulrich. She quickly pecked him on the lips and pulled back. Ulrich's jaw dropped, but his face was bright red.

"You like Ulrich, don't you?" Odd inquired. When Krista flushed, Odd rolled his eyes. "So that's why you were acting that way when we asked you that question."

Krista stood up, feeling offended. "Why does it matter, anyway? He's happily in a relationship with Yumi, so I backed off. I don't see why you're getting upset."

"Maybe if you weren't so blind, then you would understand by now," Odd retorted.

Krista shook her head in disbelief. "I guess I'll be leaving now."

"Holly-"

Krista stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Aelita, Jeremie, Ulrich, and Yumi awkwardly sat there, trying to go over what just happened.

"Maybe we should go," Aelita muttered. She stood up along with Jeremie and Yumi.

"We'll be back," said Jeremie. Aelita stood up and followed Jeremie out of the room, leaving only Odd and Ulrich.

"Go talk to her," Ulrich said. "You're on your own, buddy."

Odd rolled his eyes. "Why should I go talk to her?" he asked. "She doesn't even like me, so why should I even waste my time with her?"

Ulrich shook his head and stalked towards the door. "Just because she doesn't like you like you like her doesn't mean she doesn't want to be your friend. I'll go talk to her." He then opened the door and walked out of the room.

[*]

"It's weird for Holly and Odd to be fighting. I thought they liked each other," Aelita said, scratching her head. She sighed heavily and plopped down on Jeremie's bed.

"Same here," responded Jeremie.

"I've been trying to hook her up with Odd, but she doesn't really listen to me."

"I guess we can't force her to go out with Odd," Jeremie said as he sat down in the chair that was placed in front of his computer desk. "Now that X.A.N.A's gone, he can focus on girls now."

Aelita nodded. "True."

"What are we going to do?" Jeremie asked, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"Hook them up," Aelita said simply. "She'll grow to like him."

"Isn't it wrong that we're hooking them up so fast?" Jeremie asked.

Aelita sighed. "This is confusing."

"Let's try to get her to like him, then," Jeremie suggested hopefully.

Aelita scratched her chin. "We'll see."

[*]

"I just don't see why everyone thinks I like him," Krista said, rolling her eyes in irritation. "He's a good friend, but he's not even close to being my type."

"Why not?" Ulrich asked.

"He has the attention span of a fish. He's self-centered at times, but then he's caring… I don't know."

"He really likes you, Holly," Ulrich said. "Give him a chance."

Krista rolled her eyes as a groan escaped her lips. "I can't find myself getting into that, and besides, can we at least get to know each other better?"

Ulrich sighed. "You're hard-headed, you know that?"

Krista beamed. "I'm level-headed."

Ulrich rolled his eyes playfully. "Whatever you say."

Krista smirked and embraced Ulrich. "Thanks."

Ulrich chuckled awkwardly and patted Krista on the back. "Okay."

The sound of a throat clearing abruptly made Ulrich pull back from the hug. He saw Yumi standing there, and she looked peeved. She had her hand on her hips, she was tapping her foot impatiently, and she had her arms crossed.

"Yumi, what're you doing here?" Ulrich inquired, quickly standing up and moving next to the raven-haired girl.

"A little birdie told me that you and Holly kissed," Yumi said through gritted teeth. "Care to explain?"

"I'll leave you two alone," Krista said, standing up. She patted Ulrich's back and walked off.

"I can explain-"

Yumi scoffed. "I saw the picture, Ulrich."

Ulrich blinked. "What picture?"

"The one Odd sent me."

"He snapped a picture of it?" Ulrich demanded. When Yumi growled, Ulrich winced.

"Look, the kiss meant nothing," Ulrich said. Yumi shook her head.

"Do you like this girl?" Yumi insisted.

"No," Ulrich replied.

"Why on earth would you kiss her while you're dating me?"

"I was playing a game," Ulrich replied. The truth was that Ulrich was freaking out on the inside, but on the outside, he was calm. However, Yumi confused his calmness for a non-caring attitude.

"I'm going home," Yumi muttered. "Have fun with Holly."

Yumi stormed off, but Ulrich followed her. He grabbed her wrist and spun her around. She whirled around and glared at him, hoping that he would at least cower by her action.

He didn't even flinch.

"Yumi, we were playing truth or dare, and Odd dared me to kiss her," Ulrich explained. "That kiss meant _nothing_. It was meaningless, and to be honest, she's not even as good of a kisser as you are. Please, don't waste your time getting jealous over someone like Holly. She's just a friend, or maybe an acquaintance. I barely know her, but she's somewhat still a new friend. We'll get used to her eventually, but you just _can't_ let someone like her tear us apart."

Yumi scrunched up her nose as she beamed. "You annoy me."

"But you still love me," Ulrich replied. He placed his hands on her waist and drew her closer to his body. Yumi slightly leaned forward and touched her lips to Ulrich's. Ulrich smiled as Yumi ran her hands through his brown hair. She secretly loved his lips, but that was a secret she would carry to her grave.

"I think my eyes are going to fall out," someone remarked. Yumi and Ulrich reluctantly pulled back from the kiss to see who had interrupted it. It was Odd, who was gagging from the sight of the couple kissing. Yumi and Ulrich both flushed from the comment, and that's when Jeremie and Aelita came over to join them.

"I hate it when you guys do that," Yumi admitted, her eyes clouded with irritation. "It's annoying."

"You mean interrupting?" Odd asked, rapidly blinking his eyes innocently. "That's what you guys get for messing with each other's lips in public."

Yumi scrunched her nose in annoyance. "Where's Holly? Go mess with her lips," she retorted.

"Yeah, Holly and I aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment," Odd replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Maybe she got tired of you interrupting us," Ulrich muttered.

"What was that, good buddy?" Odd inquired, cupping part of his hand around his ear and leaning towards Ulrich for a better hearing.

"Nothing," Ulrich answered innocently. "C'mon, Yumi."

"Where are we going?" Yumi questioned as Ulrich grasped her hand and tugged her forward.

"I'm walking you home," Ulrich responded casually. "It's time for you to head home, right?"

"Actually, I was hoping to stay for dinner," Yumi said.

"I'm not eating dinner," Ulrich replied. "Besides, I really want to get some alone time."

"Oh!" Yumi exclaimed, but she kept her voice low. "Then let's blow this dump."

Ulrich smirked and waved to the group. "See you guys later!"

"Well, there goes our love birds," Aelita murmured. "They're so open with their relationship."

"I know," Jeremie said, smiling. "They make a cute couple."

"You know who else would make a cute couple?" Aelita hinted, winking. She smiled and rubbed her hand up and down Jeremie's arm.

"Yeah," Jeremie said. He returned a smile and slid his arm around Aelita's shoulders. "Holly and Odd."

Odd's mouth fell open in disbelief. Could Jeremie seriously _not _take a hint?

Aelita sighed heavily and forced a smile. "Yes, they _would_ make a cute couple."

"Jeremie, can I please speak to you in the, 'You're being an idiot' room?" Odd questioned, but before Jeremie could reply, Odd grabbed his arm and hauled him away.

"What?" Jeremie demanded. Truth be told, it annoyed him that Odd yanked him off to the side.

"Are you stupid or _stupid_?" Odd asked rhetorically. "She's obviously flirting!"

"She wasn't flirting, Odd," Jeremie responded, rolling his eyes. "She was just commenting on how Ulrich and Yumi make a cute couple."

Odd closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wow, you are like, _unbelievably _slow."

"What did I do?" Jeremie asked. He still didn't understand what was going on.

"You're supposed to be a _genius_, Einstein!" Odd exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Even a ten-year-old could pick up a hint better than _you_ can!"

Jeremie sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"Aelita's been dropping hints for about a year, Jeremie," Odd clarified. "She's obviously hitting on you, so when are you going to realize that she wants a relationship?"

"Aelita doesn't want me," Jeremie mumbled. "I'm a scrawny dork."

"You _were_ a scrawny dork," Odd said. "You're growing muscles."

"Aelita's a beautiful DJ, so why would she want to date a wimp like me?" Jeremie continued, lowering his head.

"Aelita doesn't care about looks," Odd answered. "If anything, she loves you for being yourself."

"I suppose," Jeremie muttered. "And besides, after the way I've been treating her, why would she want me now?"

"She loved you through all the fights, the drama, and the hard times. I'm pretty sure she's going to love you for being clueless."

Jeremie laughed. "Who would've thought that I would ever receive advice from the one guy who's in drama himself?"

Odd frowned and scratched his neck. "We'll work it out… Eventually."

"If you fix things with Holly, then I'll try to work things out with Aelita," Jeremie vowed. "Deal?"

Odd smirked and nodded. "Deal."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Code Lyoko. Tragic, I know. **

"Listen up, everybody!"

Everyone's ears perked up once Jim's voice boomed throughout the entire gymnasium. Jim smirked, feeling victorious. In his hand was a bunch of flyers, which he then proceeded to hand out to everyone.

"Today marks the day of the girls' volleyball tryouts," Jim announced, handing a flyer to Odd, Aelita, Krista, Jeremie, and Ulrich. "Tryouts will be held here in the gymnasium at 3pm, so be there or be square!"

Aelita scratched her chin as she studied the flyer. "Ooh, this seems like fun!"

"It does sound fun," Krista agreed, nodding her head. "I think you should try out, Aelita."

"Me?" Aelita said. "But I suck."

"I'm sure you can play volleyball," Ulrich remarked. "Besides, it's an easy sport."

"Actually," Jeremie started," it's very complicated."

"Yeah, when you're nine," Odd scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Do you think I should try out, Jeremie?" Aelita asked. When Jeremie smiled, Aelita's eyes lit up.

"Of course," he said. "After all, you're pretty strong."

"I wonder what else she's strong at," Odd taunted, elbowing Jeremie in the ribs. Jeremie flushed and shoved off Odd's elbow.

"I'll try out with you, Aelita," Krista said, smiling.

Aelita beamed and clasped her hands together. "Really?"

Krista bobbed her head. "Sure, but I'm warning you right now, Aelita."

"What?"

"I suck," Krista whispered. "I never tried Volleyball."

"Go for it," Jeremie said, grinning. He stood up from the bleachers and made his way over to the track to begin his laps.

[*]

"Good afternoon, ladies," the lady with blonde hair greeted as she slowly paced through the gym. "My name is Jenna Locke, but you will call me Jenna or Mrs. Locke."

"And I'm Kayla Jackson, but I go by Ms. Jackson," a lady with short brown hair said strictly.

There were fourteen students lined up next to each other, and all of them were dressed up for tryouts. Among those students were Krista and Aelita, who were both anxious about trying out.

"I will just like to go over some basic rules," Jenna said, coming to a stop in front of the group. "As you know, there will only be six players on a team. No more than _six_. There will be three in the front and three in the back. The remaining players will wait on the side to sub for their team. Only three hits or less are required on each side. If there are any more, then your team will automatically lose a point."

"Once the ball hits the outside of the court, it is considered out. Holding, catching, kicking, or throwing the ball is _highly_ unacceptable. If two players hit the ball at the same time, then one of you will be allowed to hit the ball," Ms. Jackson added, folding her arms across her chest.

"Now, let's start tryouts," Jenna said, flashing her brightest smile. "I want six on each side! We're going up to six points, ladies!"

"Are you ready?" Aelita asked, nervously rubbing her arms.

"I'm ready for humiliation," Krista muttered. She got in the back along with two other people while Aelita stood in the front with two other girls. Every girl readied their hands by making a fist with one hand and wrapping their other hand around their fist. They all bent their knees and held their arms out, ready to hit the ball.

Jenna counted down from five before she blew her whistle. The girl on the opposing team tossed the ball up in the air and bumped it upwards. She then proceeded to hit the ball, forcing it to fly over the net. Aelita darted to the left and bumped the ball back over the net. The two continued to bump the ball back-and-forth, leaving the others to watch in awe.

"Screw this," Krista muttered. The ball came towards her, so she decided to steal the spotlight. With all her force, she bumped the ball up into the air. Another girl on her team bumped the ball over the net. The same girl who served the ball bumped the ball forward, but it hit the net. Aelita's team cheered with victory as the other team groaned.

"I don't see _you_ guys trying!" the server retorted, huffing and rolling her eyes. Krista immediately recognized the girl to be Sissi, her new enemy.

"Time to bring my A game," Krista murmured to herself. She bent her knees and slightly placed her left leg ahead of her right leg. Aelita had the ball, so once she threw it up and bumped it, it went flying to the opposite side. The girl beside Sissi bumped the ball, sending it soaring across the net. Krista ran two steps before she hopped up into the air and hit the ball back over the net. Out of instinct, Sissi smacked the ball away from her, causing it to fall to the floor and roll away.

"Two more points to team two!" Ms. Jackson announced. Jenna grinned and scribbled something down on her clipboard.

"Sissi and Vienna, hit the sideline!" Jenna ordered. "Hannah and Andrea, you two get in and take their places."

Sissi and the red-head, Vienna, mumbled something incoherently as they made their way to the side. The other girls, Hannah and Andrea, wandered onto the court. They got in the position just as Aelita lobbed the ball into the air. She bumped the ball into the air and launched it over the white net. Andrea reacted quickly, forcing the ball back over the net. The girl next to Krista tried to hit the ball, but her fist missed the ball. As a result, the ball slowly rolled towards the corner.

"Two points to team one!" Ms. Jackson proclaimed, raising two fingers in the air. Sissi stuck her tongue out while Andrea gave team two a smug smile.

"I don't like them," the girl next to Krista muttered bitterly.

"Neither do I," Krista replied nonchalantly, bending her knees once more.

"My name is Megan," the girl said. "And how about you?"

"Holly," Krista replied. She felt bad for lying, but she needed to keep her identity safe.

"Team one serves!" Jenna shouted from the side, jotting down something else on her clipboard.

Hannah grinned and jogged over to the corner to retreat the ball. When she got it, she made her way back to her side of the net. She bent her knees and waited for the signal to toss the ball. When she received it, she threw the ball up into the air and smacked it over the net. Megan hopped into the air and swung her fist forward, launching the ball back over to the other side. Hannah went for the ball, but ended up tripping over Andrea's foot. Hannah fell, and the ball hit the girl behind Hannah.

"Team two wins!" Jenna declared, her face scrunched up in a wince as she rushed over to the girl's aid.

"You idiot!" Hannah exclaimed to Andrea, who then rolled her eyes.

"No one told you to become best friends with my leg," Andrea retorted.

"That concludes tryouts," Ms. Jackson said, ending the feud before it escalated. "The names will be posted tomorrow in the morning in the cafeteria."

Jenna nodded. "Yes, but come and get your paper work! They have to be signed and turned in before the first practice!"

Krista and Aelita sighed heavily as everyone made their way off of the court. Aelita rushed over to her water bottle and forced it open. Tilting her head back, she allowed the water to pour into her mouth. It ran over her dry tongue, immediately moisturizing the inside of her mouth. She chugged down the entire water bottle and panted.

"Jeremie was right," Aelita muttered. "Volleyball is hard."

"I know," Krista replied, also panting. "Your face is red."

"So is yours," Aelita replied. Krista collapsed to the floor and tugged on her hair tie until it slid out of her hair. Her brown hair, which was damp from sweat, fell down her back and around her face. She fished out her water bottle from her bag and gulped half of the bottle down.

"I need a shower," Krista muttered. "Let's go get our forms."

[*]

Odd smiled as she stepped into his cold room. After a nice shower, he felt clean and ready for bed. However, it was only six o'clock, so he couldn't just head to bed. However, he _could_ go to bed. Before he went to his room, he went to Krista's and Aelita's dorm. Unfortunately, they were both passed out in their bed, snoring quietly. Odd shook his head and slowly backed out of the room, quietly shutting the door.

"I am _exhausted_!" Odd exclaimed as he plopped face-down onto his pillow. "It takes a lot of work to look good."

"So why does it never work?" Ulrich retorted, smirking. Ulrich was too busy petting Kiwi, who yawned with satisfaction.

"Shut up," Odd murmured, chucking a pillow over at Ulrich. "I was going to speak to Aelita about Holly, but she's asleep. Then I decided to talk to Holly alone, but she was knocked out as well! What's wrong with them?"

"They had Volleyball tryouts," Ulrich informed. "We told you this nine times today."

Odd blinked. "Oh yeah."

The door swung open before Ulrich had a chance to retort. Jeremie was standing in the doorway along with Aelita, who was vigorously rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Ulrich said, smirking. Aelita gave him a small smile to acknowledge him.

"I woke her up because she hates missing dinner," Jeremie explained, gently rubbing Aelita's arm. Even though she was dressed, she still looked exhausted. Her hair was messed up, and the bags under her eyes were visible.

"True," Aelita said, weakly laughing. "So let's get going."

"I'll meet you guys over there later," Odd said as Ulrich stood up from the bed and wandered out of the room along with Aelita and Jeremie.

Kiwi circled the bed before he plopped down on it. Odd inhaled deeply and exhaled heavily. "You can do this, Odd. You've seen your mom naked once, so why can't you talk to a girl?" Odd asked himself, shivering at the memory. "Stretch marks. Ugh!"

He hopped out of bed and forced himself out of the room. With each step closer to Krista's room, he felt more and more anxious. What was he supposed to say to her? What was he supposed to do if she didn't forgive him? He then realized that he should've planned that out before he arrived to Krista's room. However, it was too late. He was already there.

He reluctantly opened the door to her dorm and stepped in. The atmosphere was chilly, and it was almost as if there was a built in air-conditioner in her room.

"Holly, are you awake?" _What a stupid question. Of course she's not awake._

Odd kept quiet, listening for any sound. All he heard was music and light snoring.

"Girls are beginning to annoy me," he muttered bitterly to himself. "I'll just apologize and leave her the hell alone."

Odd sighed heavily and walked over to the figure in the bed. He subconsciously tapped her should with enough force to break her bed. Krista swatted him away as she slowly came to. In a way, Odd found that hilarious.

"Holly, get up," Odd ordered, slightly shaking the girl. "It's dinner time."

Krista slowly sat up in her bed and pulled the headphones out of her ears. "What?"

Odd mentally chuckled at how messed up her hair was. "Dinner time."

"I'm not hungry," Krista replied. She plugged the ear buds back into her ear and flopped back down onto her bed.

Odd forced the headphones out of her ears and rolled his eyes. "Look, even though you are confusing as hell, I still want to apologize."

"For?" Krista urged on, still not realizing what he wanted.

"Earlier," Odd responded curtly. Krista scratched her head.

"It's fine. I mean, it was unnecessary, but it's fine."

"I'll let you go back to sleep," Odd said, getting up. Before he could even take a step, he felt Krista grab his arm and yank him back down.

"No," she said. "I'm fully awake now. I need company."

Odd smiled. "Sure thing, Holly."

[*]

Odd cracked his eyes open and squinted from the light that poured into the room. Judging by the lighting, Odd could tell that it was somewhere between 6 or 7 o'clock. He groaned and tried to rub his eyes, but something prevented him from doing so. He looked over at his right arm, which was being occupied by Krista, who was still asleep. Her head was on his shoulder, and she was lying on his arm.

_I got to get out of here or she's going to kill me!_

Odd sluggishly dragged his arm closer to his body, but he was cautious so he wouldn't accidentally wake Krista up. He then scooted over, forcing Krista's body to roll once in the other direction. He got up and slowly got up and tip-toed out of the room. Once he got out, he sprinted all the way to his dorm.

"What the…" Ulrich trailed off as Odd quickly entered the room, slamming the door behind him. Odd panted and slid down the door.

"Don't ask," he said in between pants.

"Okay," Ulrich said. "So, what happened?"

Odd narrowed his eyes. "Your sarcasm sucks."

"It wasn't sarcasm."

"I woke up in Holly's room," Odd said. "I guess we were talking and one of us fell asleep."

Ulrich threw his head back and let out a laugh. "No way! That's _hilarious_!"

"No it's not," Odd mumbled. "My heart almost stopped!"

"I think you're overreacting," Ulrich admitted. "So what if you woke up with Holly? Yumi and I've done that before."

"Well, I'm not you and Yumi," Odd murmured. He walked over to Kiwi, who was snuggled up against Odd's pillow. "Good morning, my little diggity dog!"

Ulrich rolled his eyes and walked out of the room.


End file.
